In whatever the form - books, films and especially recordings - it’s nice to see Jazz fans, enthusiasts, academics and musicians documenting the history of the music, especially from a primary source or “I,” “We” or “They were there” perspective.

Resonance Records recent release of two CDs of the 1966 debut recordings at the Village Vanguard by the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra serve as a classic example of such valuable documentation.

George Klabin, Zev Feldman and the fine team at Resonance Records deserve our gratitude and support for researching and issuing the double CD Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra - All My Yesterdays: The 1966 Debut Recordings at The Village Vanguard [HCD 2023].

Mike Carlson and his staff at MC Promotion sent along the following press release and since the editorial staff at JazzProfiles couldn’t improve upon it, we thought we’d present it to you “as is” to provide you with a description of what’s on offer in this magnificent gift to all Jazz fans.

New York, January 20, 2016

- Resonance Records is proud to announce the release of Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra - All My Yesterdays: The Debut 1966 Recordings at the Village Vanguard.

This first official release of these recordings capturing the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra in their Opening Night performance at the legendary Village Vanguard in NYC on February 7, 1966, a performance that launched a tradition of successive Monday night appearances by the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra that lasted twelve years and which continues today through the dedication of the band's musical heir, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. This combined fifty-year residency at the Village Vanguard will be celebrated by the release of this album.

The album includes recordings from March 21, 1966, as well as those from opening night. These recordings will be released as a deluxe 2-CD set on February 19, 2016, within two weeks of the 50th Anniversary. This is the first official release of this material endorsed by the estates of Thad Jones, Mel Lewis and the Village Vanguard, since some of the recordings were unofficially exploited via a limited bootleg in 2000. This Resonance Records release includes the best takes from the February 7th and March 21st performances, many of which were not on the 2000 bootleg.

Resonance Records, a multi-GRAMMY® Award winning label (most recently for John Coltrane's Offering: Live at Temple University for "Best Album Notes") prides itself in creating beautifully designed packaging to accompany previously unreleased recordings of music by jazz icons.

Such is the case for All My Yesterdays. This release includes over 100 minutes of music, with a 92 page book, and is presented in a 6-panel, eco-friendly digi-pak. This package is one inch taller than a standard CD to present the 2 discs and book (extensive books have become a trademark of Resonance Records's historic releases: Wes Montgomery In the Beginning includes a 55 page book; the upcoming 2016 Larry Young release In Paris: The ORTF Recordings includes a 68 page book).

The All My Yesterdays book will serve as new reference material for Thad Jones/Mel Lewis fans providing rare, previously unpublished photos, historic essays, interviews and memoirs. Contributors include executive producer George Klabin who recorded the original tapes, producer Zev Feldman, associate producer Chris Smith (author of The View from the Back of the Band: The Life and Music of Mel Lewis), longtime Vanguard Jazz Orchestra arranger and pianist Jim McNeely, and trombonist/educator and current member of the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra John Mosca. All of the living musicians who played on these recordings contributed to the notes, recounting their personal experiences of the Thad Jones/ Mel Lewis Orchestra. Included are accounts from saxophonists Jerry Dodgion, Eddie Daniels and Marv "Doc" Holladay, trumpeter Jimmy Owens, trombonists Garnett Brown and Tom Macintosh, along with bassist Richard Davis. The pages display rare photos by Chuck Stewart, Raymond Ross, Ray Avery and Jan Persson.

During the same year that Miles Davis and John Coltrane debuted at the Village Vanguard with their newly constituted small ensembles, in early 1966 Thad Jones and Mel Lewis made an important statement by creating a modern big band. Thad and Mel recruited a dream lineup of talented musicians including the late pianist Hank Jones, saxophonists Pepper Adams, Jerome Richardson, Joe Farrell and trombonist Bob Brookmeyer. During a time of social distress in the mid — 1960s, the ensemble also made a social statement due to its diverse mix of races, ages and religions.

On a cold February evening in 1966, jazz fans lined up around the block waiting for the doors to open at the famed Greenwich Village club; a new big band formed by Thad Jones and Mel Lewis was about to perform. Max Gordon, founder of the Village Vanguard, invited the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra to play that evening and for subsequent Monday nights. Inside the club was Resonance founder George Klabin, a 19 year-old self-taught sound engineer who had already established a reputation recording jazz music around New York City. Using a small cocktail table by the edge of the stage near the drums, he set up his 50-pound two track Crown tape machine and portable Ampex four-channel mixing board. He apportioned his six microphones among the various sections of the band (for the March 21, 1966 recording he used 10 microphones). Ahead of his time, Klabin captured astounding sound quality - he recorded directly to two-track, while mixing the sound live, adjusting the mic volume for each of the soloists on-the-fly. For this release, he transferred and re-mastered the audio using the original two-track tapes as the source.

While a student at Columbia University, Klabin was head of the jazz department at WKCR-FM, the college radio station. His colleague Alan Grant, a jazz radio announcer, asked him if he would record this new big band during their first gig at the Vanguard. Little did Klabin know that this group would become the renowned Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra who would perform every Monday night at the Village Vanguard for nearly 50 years under only three names: the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, the Mel Lewis Orchestra and the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. As agreed, Klabin's recordings became a demo tape for the band, which secured them a record deal with Sonny Lester's Solid State Records, in exchange for Klabin's being given free rein to play the recordings on his radio show on WKCR-FM.

In his essay, Klabin recalls the magical feel of that evening in the packed, small club. He writes, "There is a palpable crackling energy in the room! This is the first time they have played this innovative stuff in public. Thad is the cheerleader, conducting, waving, shouting, clapping. You can hear it throughout the recordings. It's really special!"

One can hear this crackling energy in the room from the start. During the opening tune "Back Bone," a Thad Jones composition, players and audience members are clapping and shouting encouragement for each soloist. The recordings capture the atmosphere at the Vanguard without compromising the clarity of the music. One can hear people laughing and shouting as they listen to these innovative, cutting-edge arrangements and solos propelled by Mel Lewis's infectious, driving rhythmic force. The audience and musicians alike are electrified by the music of Thad Jones, who arranged and composed thirteen of the seventeen tunes heard on this album.

"Big Dipper" opens with a trumpet and alto saxophone exchange featuring Jimmy Nottingham and Jerome Richardson. This trumpet-alto sax conversation is followed by a brief piano solo by Hank Jones, after which the band roars in. There is a dazzling freedom to this music; you can hear the excitement in the room, not just from the energy of the music, but from the audience's reaction to it. The same holds true for the ballads, which include "All My Yesterdays," "Lover Man" and "Willow Weep for Me." Recordings from both evening performances (February 7 and March 21st) all convey the ebullient energy Thad, Mel and the band were expressing and the audience was feeling.

By the mid-'60s, Thad Jones had established himself as a noted composer, conductor and a top jazz trumpet player. From 1954-1963, he performed with the Count Basie Orchestra as featured soloist, arranger and composer for the band. As Chris Smith describes in his essay, Thad had a unique, sophisticated writing style that is "never completely absorbed on first listen - or hundredth, for that matter. It takes mature ears and repetition to process Thad's unusual inner voices, unexpected rhythms and crunchy harmonies . . . Simply, he heard things in his head that our ears and brains are still trying to process 50 years later. That is an undeniable mark of genius and one that should be consistently mentioned among the ranks of other 20th century composers such as Ellington, Strayhorn and Gershwin." Thad Jones originally wrote many of the compositions and arrangements heard on All My Yesterdays for the Count Basie Orchestra, but for whatever reason, Basie didn't use them. Thad left Basie in 1963 and became an in-demand studio musician in New York. But he'd always wanted the material he'd created for Basie to be performed, and not quite three years later, he used it as the foundation for the big band he formed with the celebrated big-band drummer — and his musical colleague — Mel Lewis.

Toward the end of 1965, Thad joined forces with Mel to assemble a rehearsal band to perform Thad's charts for which they enlisted the top players currently working in New York. After a couple of months of midnight rehearsals at Phil Ramone's A & R studios, on February 7, 1966, they launched the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra at the Village Vanguard in the performances on this album. Regarded as one of the finest big-band drummers of his generation, Mel Lewis developed his solid, bedrock big-band driving style with the bands of Stan Kenton, Terry Gibbs, and Bill Holman. He supported the rhythmic journey of Thad's compositions with precision and musicality while propelling the band with fire and energy. Together Mel Lewis and Thad Jones created an environment of innovation, as they explored new musical territories that paved the way for big band music to come.

When All My Yesterdays producer, Zev Feldman, started working at Resonance Records in 2009, he learned about the existence of these Thad Jones/Mel Lewis recordings that label president, George Klabin made as a teenager. A fan of the band since his college days, Feldman was determined to produce an official release of this music in an expanded edition to honor the 50th Anniversary. He always felt it was unfortunate that in the 2000 bootleg release, many of the musicians were not credited and no one received compensation. It's been a long journey for Resonance to negotiate agreements with the families and estates of Thad Jones and Mel Lewis and to secure clearances from all living members of the orchestra and the heirs of those who had passed away. Resonance is pleased to release this music officially with blessings from all those involved in the recordings.

Feldman beams with excitement: "This is one of the most important large music ensembles to ever record jazz. Some of the greatest players from the New York jazz scene in the 1960s come out of that band. You can feel the excitement - these recordings capture a special energy. Since I started working at Resonance, this has been one of the albums that I've been most excited to release. It's also special and personal to George Klabin, so we all wanted to go above and beyond for this project."

To engross oneself fully in the musical experience of the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra's All My Yesterdays, George Klabin suggests, "Put on a pair of good stereo headphones and immerse yourself in the atmosphere of those two nights. You will hear all the subtleties: Thad's shouts, the room sound, the musicians' camaraderie, encouraging each other and most of all the pure joy! Now you can be there, too."”

Tracks

Disc One - Recorded Feb. 7, 1966

1. Back Bone (13:21)

2. All My Yesterdays (4:22)

3. Big Dipper (5:51)

4. Mornin' Reverend (4:49)

5. The Little Pixie (14:24)

6. Big Dipper (alt take) (5:44)

Disc Two - Recorded March 21, 1966

1. Low Down (4:38)

2. Lover Man (5:24)

3. Ah, That's Freedom (10:08)

4. Don't Ever Leave Me (4:28)

5. Willow Weep For Me (6:15)

6. Mean What You Say (5:51)

7. Once Around (12:44)

8. Polka Dots & Moonbeams (4:02)

9. Mornin' Reverend (5:49)

10. All My Yesterdays (4:24)

11. Back Bone (12:58)

Resonance Records continues to bring archival recordings to light. Some past releases include the critically acclaimed 2015 Grammy Award-winning John Coltrane release Offering: Live at Temple University (Grammy® for "Best Album Notes," Ashley Kahn), Wes Montgomery One Night In Indy & In the Beginning, Charles Lloyd Manhattan Stories and Bill Evans Live at Art D'Lugoff's Top of the Gate. Located in Beverly Hills, CA, Resonance Records is a division of Rising Jazz Stars, Inc. a California 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation created to discover the next jazz stars and advance the cause of jazz. Resonance Artists include Richard Galliano, Polly Gibbons, Tamir Hendelman, Christian Howes and Donald Vega.

For more information on Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra - All My Yesterdays: The Debut 1966 Recordings at the Village Vanguard, please visit:

Celebrating the Legacy of Art Farmer 1928-1999

This year will be the 90th Birthday Anniversary of Art Farmer. We are pleased to announce that The Art Farmer Website is now live. Please click on the image of Art to be re-directed to his site replete with discography.

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Bassist Chuck Israels on alto saxophonist Phil Woods

Quincy Jones had a band that was preparing to tour Europe in the summer of 1959. The band was rehearsing in the mezzanine of the Olympia Theatre and I somehow wrangled an invitation to attend a rehearsal. It was a great hand with some of Quincy's friends from Seattle, like Buddy Catlett and Patti Brown. Les Spann was the guitarist and played some flute solos. Sahib Shihab was in the saxophone section and Joe Harris played drums. I listened to a number of pieces in which there were solos played by various members of the band. It would be unfair to say that those solos were perfunctory, but later, when Phil Woods stood up from the lead alto chair to play his solo feature, the atmosphere changed. Phil played as if there were no tomorrow. The contrast was striking and I have always remembered the impression it left. If you practice rehearsing, then when the lime comes to perform, you are ready to rehearse. Phil practiced performing.

JazzProfiles Readers Forum

You have done a great service by reproducing this article. Gene really created a great portrait of Miller, especially with his new (for the time) interviews.

I was a great admirer of Gene's writing, and can say we were friends. If you like, I can send you a link to a memorial article I wrote for Doug Ramsey's blog Rifftides that I wrote after Gene died. He could be quite frustrating at times, but I learned a lot from him, and he definitely helped me to become a better writer.

Hi. I have been visiting his blog for a few months almost daily and I have to thank him for his work, contributing interesting articles about music and Jazz musicians which is helping me discover new things, to value others that I did not appreciate at the time and to recover some that I enjoyed. and I have forgotten. -Greetings and many thanks from Toledo Spain.

Great write up of one helluva release by Bill Lichtenauer of Tantara Productions. Magnificent list, great technology, and fantastic Kenton sounds. Thanks Steve...and thanks, Bill. And the liner notes were done superbly by Michael Sparke of the UK. Tony Agostinelli

Thanks Steven for making this available to a wider readership. This book was like a "bible" to me when I first started collecting aged 16. I still have my original copy ... complete with marginalia as I filled in my collection. I had to wait until I moved to London in 1958 to acquire many of these albums on the British labels like Esquire .... this brings back so many pleasant memories, but it also reminds me that time does proceed, relentlessly.

Garth.

This book was like a "bible" to me when I was a serious collector, aged 16 .... I still have my original copy, in excellent condition after all these years, over three continents complete with marginalia as I built my collection. Bravo to you Steve for making these early observations available for others to read. Raymond Horricks followed this book up with "These Jazzmen Of Our Time" (Gollancz, 1959), which contained some great early portraits by Herman Leonard.

I met him twice. He was playing at a mall with the Westchester jazz band. That was around 97 or so. They were taking a break and I started talking to him. He was super nice. I mention my grandfather was a jazz trumpet player Bunny Berigan. I did not know who Bill was but like the way he played bass that day. I ran across his book on jazz in the white plains library. I was surprise at knowledge and who he played with in jazz. I seen him again at the same place a year later and got to talk to him.Very nice again to me. I asked him about Zoot Sims. And about Benny Goodman which he your with in Russian . My grandfather played with Benny too at one time. Seems they both found him hard to deal with. What a fine man Bill is.

I discovered Oliver Nelson in 1977 and could not believe my ears. At the time it was obviously a vinyl record and belonged to somebody else. However, thanks to the technology of today I can listen to my cd of Blues and the Abstract Truth to my heart's content. You have told me so much more about this wonderful man's unique style. If I want to feel good, I just listen to Stolen Moments. Thank you.

I have been listening to 1 of greatest piece of orchestration of Stan Kenton style music I've ever listened too arranged by a young trumpet player & arranger Bill Mathieu it's Kenton it Mathieu but mostly a great music . the complexed overlays , blending , fitting in soloists at just the right moment , plus the swelling of the whole orchestra to create the Kenton sound without losing his own indemnity is outstanding . Thank Bill Thank you Stan ... Jim Shelton

Peter Haslund has left a new comment on your post "Mark Murphy: 1932-2015, R.I.P.":

Just discovered Mr. Murphy. Gotta say it leaves me speechless that I listened to jazz since the 80s and never once heard his name. All the stuff that sounded so contrived with Sinatra (who obviously knew he was really singing black people's music) is fresh and free with Mark. RIP.

Hi Steven,

I read with interest your recent piece about the Boss Brass. I live in Toronto, and when it comes to the Canadian jazz scene, it's hard to overstate how influential this band was. Besides the quality of McConnell's arrangements, the musicians were all top-name guys in the city (many with vigorous solo careers). What has always floored me about their playing is the tightness and especially intonation in the woodwinds -- the skill of the horn players at playing doubles (flutes and clarinets) is legendary.

I feel fortunate to have been able to hear them live, on a number of occasions. From the stories I've heard, either third-hand or right from former Boss Brass members, Rob was a really hard guy to work with, but certainly pushed his group toward excellence.

I also liked your recent piece on Pat Martino. I'm a big fan of his style. If you haven't read his autobiography, I highly recommend it! His personal story is, of course, fascinating and inspiring.

Speaking of guitarists, someone you may want to profile someday is the Canadian jazz guitarist Ed Bickert. He was the guitarist for the Boss Brass for many decades. He is now quite elderly and no longer playing, but is another of those guys who was phenomenally influential, though I think he largely flew under-the-radar south of the border.

Thanks for putting together such a great site, and best wishes.

Jordan Wosnick

You can share your thoughts, observations and general remarks in the Readers Forum by contacting JazzProfiles via scerra@roadrunner.com

Hi Steve...I'm not a Facebook or Twitter guy so here's hoping this email reaches you...

You indicated that you were not aware of published Mulligan biographies in your recent post on Gerry and I wanted to bring one to your attention that I think you will like:

JERU'S JOURNEY by Sanford Josephson. It was published in 2015 by Hal Leonard Books. It's part of the Hal Leonard Biography Series which also includes bios of Cannonball Adderley, Herbie Mann & Billy Eckstine.

I own the Adderley and Mann bios and also recommend them.

Jeru's Journey is an easy read and covers Mulligan's life from birth to his passing. It is a very good overview and the author--who knew Mulligan and interviewed him before his passing--tells Gerry's story completely including Mulligan's drug addiction, domestic (wives) issues, etc. along with good musical analysis and insights both of the author's and other musicians. In addition to a good discography there are many photographs.

The list price is $19.99. A good buy.

In closing, I would like to tell you how much I have enjoyed your blog over the years. I have recommended it to many musician friends and all have thanked me. Thanks again for helping to keep the jazz alive...

Bruce Armstrong

You can share your thoughts, observations and general remarks in the Readers Forum by contacting JazzProfiles via scerra@roadrunner.com

Les Koenig was clearly a GIANT despite his obvious preference to be low-key, himself. THANK YOU, Steven Cerra!!! The world is a better place because of people like Les! Like Laurie(Pepper) & the list goes on & on forever! Like YOU, Steven! Thanks to ALL who work behind the scenes, on or off-stage, etc. etc. etc... -in support of the featured "Player" & "Sidemen" so that "We the people..." can be out in the audience having the time of our lives enjoying "the show" or "Artistry, Talent, Efforts" and so on! My attitude is one of gratitude!! THIS art form & ALL original American Art forms must be preserved and encouraged to not only survive, but to thrive!!!

Diz

"Jazz is a gift. If you can hear it, you can have it."

Piano Players: Dick Katz on Erroll Garner

“Unique is an inadequate word to describe Erroll Garner. He was a musical phenomenon unlike any other. One of the most appealing performers in Jazz history, he influenced almost every pianist who played in his era, and even beyond. Self-taught, he could not read music, yet he did things that trained pianists could not play or even imagine. Garner was a one-man swing band, and indeed often acknowledged that his main inspiration was the big bands of the thirties – Duke, Basie, Lunceford, et al. He developed a self-sufficient, extremely full style that was characterized by a rock-steady left-hand that also sounded like a strumming rhythm guitar. Juxtaposed against this was a river of chordal or single note ideas, frequently stated in a lagging, behind-the-beat way that generated terrific swing.” [

Paul Desmond

Cannonball Adderley, who was at one point a rival of Paul's in the various polls and whose robust gospel-drenched playing was worlds apart once said: ‘He is a profoundly beautiful player.’ Writer Nat Hentoff said. "He could put you in a trance, catch you in memory and desire, make you forget the garlic and sapphires in the mud."

Drummers Corner: Larry Bunker on Shelly Manne

“In a truly formal sense, Shelly could barely play the drums. If you gave him a pair of sticks and a snare drum and had him play rudi­ments—an open and closed roll, paradiddles, and all that kind of thing—he didn't sound like much. He never had that kind of training and wasn't inter­ested in it. For him it was a matter of playing the drums with the music. He could play more music in four bars than almost anyone else. His drums sounded gorgeous. They recorded sensationally. All you had to hear was three or four bars and you knew it was Shelly Manne. - Larry Bunker, Jazz drummer and premier, studio percussionist

The 1954 Birdland Recordings of Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers

The 1954 Birdland recordings on Blue Note provided the stylistic foundation for the rest of Art Blakey's career. His style had completely crystallized. His pulsation was undeniable, a natural force; the counter-rhythms he brought to the mix made what he played that much more affecting. There was a purity about what he did—and always motion. He was spontaneous, free, creating every minute. That he was in the company of peers, all performing in an admirable manner, had a lot to do with making this "on-the-spot" session such an important musical document. The band never stops burning. The exhilarating Clifford Brown moves undaunted through material, fast, slow, in between, playing fantastic, well-phrased ideas that unfold in an unbroken stream. His technique, almost perfect; his sound, burnished. He's a gift to the senses. Lou Donaldson, an underrated alto player in the Bird tradition, offers much to think about while you're tapping your foot. Horace Silver is crucial to the effect of this music, much of it his own. Certainly the rhythms that inform his piano playing and writing make it all the more soulful. On this and other records he serves as a catalytic agent, provoking swing and engaging intensity. Hard-hitting, unpretentious, communicative, Silver has little use for compositional elements or piano techniques that impede his message. A live-in pulse permeates his music and his playing, strongly affecting the shape, content, and level of excitement of his performances and those of his colleagues. An original and tellingly economic amalgam of Parker, the blues, shuffling dance rhythms, and a taste of the black church for flavor, Silver is quite undeniable. Listen to his delightful "Quicksilver" on A Night at Birdland With the Art Blakey Quintet, Vol. 1 (Blue Note). It capsulizes what he does. On this album, Curly Russell shows once again he can play "up" tempos and interesting changes. He ties in well with Blakey. But Silver and Blakey, in combination, determine the rhythmic disposition of the music. Blakey's natural time and fire raise the heat to an explosive level before the listener realizes how hot the fire has become. Perhaps more than other recordings Blakey has made, the Birdland session documents his great strengths and technical failings. At almost every turn, he shows what an enviably well coordinated, buoyantly confident, rhythmically discerning player he is.

BOP AND DRUMS—A NEW WORLD

From the Introduction to Burt Korall, “Drummin’ Men: The Bebop Years”

“It is difficult for young musicians and jazz devotees to fully comprehend the tumultuous effect that the advent of bop had on drummers. The new music demanded new, relevant, trigger-fast, musical, well-placed reactions from the person behind the drum set—an entirely revamped view of time and rhythm, techniques, and musical attitudes.

How well did drummers deal with bop? The innovators, like Kenny Clarke and Max Roach, opened the path and showed how it was done. Young disciples—if they had talent, sensitivity, and the necessary instincts— caught on and made contributions. Other drummers stylistically modified the way they played, trying to combine the old with the new. This was tricky at best. Sometimes it worked; sometimes it was a matter of apples and oranges. Still others fought change and what it implied.

Not welcomed by many swing drummers and their more traditional predecessors, the new wave was looked upon as the enemy, sources of disruption and unnecessary noise. Those stuck in the past could not accept breaking time, using the drum set as both color resource and time center. The structural and emotional differences essential to bebop, the need for virtuosity, and the ability to think quickly and perform appropriately intimidated them. The demands of the music were strange and often devastating; a feeling of hostility built up in them. The basic reasons were quite clear. The new music could ultimately challenge their earning ability and position in the drum hierarchy."

Gerry Mulligan 1927-1996

“… Gerry Mulligan lived through almost the entire history of jazz. It is against that background that he should be understood.” – Gene Lees

Gunther Schuller on Sonny Rollins

“Rhythmically, Rollins is as imaginative and strong as in his melodic concepts. And why not? The two are really inseparable, or at least should be. In his recordings as well as during several evenings at Birdland recently [Fall/1958] Rollins indicated that he can probably take any rhythmic formation and make it swing. This ability enables him to run the gamut of extremes— from almost a whole chorus of non-syncopated quarter notes (which in other hands might be just naive and square but through Rollins' sense of humor and superb timing are transformed into a swinging line) to asymmetrical groupings of fives and sevens or between the-beat rhythms that defy notation. As for his imagination, it is prodigiously fertile. And indeed I can think of no better and more irrefutable proof of the fact that discipline and thought do not necessarily result in cold or un-swinging music than a typical Rollins performance. No one swings more (hard or gentle) and is more passionate in his musical expression than Sonny Rollins . It ultimately boils down to how much talent an artist has; the greater the demands of his art both emotionally and intellectually the greater the talent necessary.”

Artie Shaw on Louis Armstrong as told to Gene Lees

Artie said, "You are too young to know the impact Louis had in the 1920s," he said. "By the time you were old enough to appreciate Louis, you had been hearing those who derived from him. You cannot imagine how radical he was to all of us. Revolutionary. He defined not only how you play a trumpet solo but how you play a solo on any instrument. Had Louis Armstrong never lived, I suppose there would be a jazz, but it would be very different."

Pops

Bill Crow on Louis Amstrong

Louis Armstrong transformed jazz. He played with a strength and inventiveness that illuminated every jazz musician that heard his music. Louis was able to do things on the trumpet that had previously been considered impossible. His tone and range and phrasing became criteria by which other jazz musicians measured themselves. He established the basic vocabulary of jazz phrases, and his work became the foundation of every jazz musician who followed him.

Bassist Eddie Gomez on Pianist Bill Evans

“Bill's music is profoundly expressive. It is passionate, intellectual, and without pretense. Eleven years with his trio afforded me the opportunity to perform, record, travel, and most importantly learn. My development as an artist is largely due to his encouragement, support, and patience. He instilled confidence in me, while at the same time urging me to search for my own voice and for new ways to make the music vital and creative. And Bill believed that repertoire, both new and old, would organically flourish in repeated live performance. In fact, there were precious few rehearsals, even before recording sessions. … When Bill passed away late in 1980, it was clear that all of us in the jazz world had sustained a huge loss. I was shocked and saddened; in my heart I had always felt that some day there would be a reunion concert. Had I been able to look into a crystal ball and foresee his death, perhaps I might have stayed in the trio for a longer period. I still dream about one more set with Bill. He closes his eyes, turns his head to one side, and every heartfelt note seems etched and bathed in gold. How I miss that sound.”

John Coltrane on Stan Getz

Coltrane himself said of the mellifluous Stan Getz, "Let's face it--we'd all sound like that if we could."

Peter Bernstein on Bobby Hutcherson

I got to play with Bobby Hutcherson at Dizzy's a few years ago, which ended up on a CD [2012's Somewhere In The Night on Kind of Blue Records]. I was four feet away from him, thinking, "How is this man just hitting metal bars with wooden sticks with cotton on the end and making such an expressive statement?" The instrument is just like ... it's him! He's imbuing it with his thoughts and feelings. That's a miraculous thing. The instrument itself disappears when you're talking about a master on that level.

Ralph Bowen

“In a way, the entire act of music is mind put into sound. It has to go through some sort of physical medium in order to be heard. I chose the saxophone, but the whole issue is to have such control over the instrument and over what you hear that the instrument physically doesn't get in the way of visualizing sound. Technique to me means dealing with an instrument in the most efficient manner possible so that it's no more than peripheral to expression."